Presently, silicone is molded using a press which holds a heated top and bottom mold cavity while the liquid silicone is injected into the mold using a pump. After the silicone is cured under heat, the press is lifted, the mold is separated and the molded silicone part is removed. The typical mold comprises a top mold plate which contains a mold cavity and a runner cavity. The silicone is injected under pressure into the runner cavity where it flows into the mold cavity. When the silicone cures, the silicone remaining in the runner cavity, referred to as runner silicone, must then be separated from the remaining silicone and the runner cavity.
One problem with the conventional techniques for molding silicone is that the hot mold cannot normally be handled manually. This problem has prevented the development of a molding and curing system which can be used to mold silicone onto a substrate such as fabric.
There exists a need to facilitate an apparatus which will allow silicone to be molded onto a substrate such as fabric while minimizing the propensity for the operator to be burned by a hot mold plate. There also exists a need to facilitate the prompt removal of runner silicone during the molding process.